Tetrarch winner Buckaroo stakes Irish Guineas claim

The Coolmore Arizona Irish EBF Tetrarch Stakes saw the 15/8 favourite Buckaroo emerge as a leading contender for the Irish 2,000 Guineas with an emphatic four length victory.

Shane Crosse, who enjoyed Group One success on State Of Rest in yesterday’s Prix Ganay, again teamed up with Joseph O’Brien and the pair would have had few anxious moments as the Fastnet Rock colt travelled smoothly throughout.

Having tracked the leaders, he led just inside the furlong marker and stretched away to win well with Wexford Native just pipping New Energy for the runner-up spot.

Owned by Qatar Racing, Buckaroo had been touched off in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on his seasonal debut.

Joseph O'Brien said: “I was really happy with that. I took a bit of a chance coming back to a mile but I thought he’d been working with plenty of pace, maybe more than I was giving him credit for in his earlier days.

“He looks like an Irish Guineas horse.

“He’s a big, strong, powerful horse and has quite a laidback attitude. I discussed it with Sheikh Fahad and we decided to come here and find out if he was a Guineas horse.

“I see him as more of an eight to be ten-furlong horse than a ten to be twelve-furlong horse. He seems to be versatile ground wise.”

Paddy Power cut the winner to 14/1 from 33s for the St James's Palace Stakes.

Quotes from Alan Magee